An evolutionary population consists of a mixture of different varieties of the same species obtained by crossing initial varieties with specific characteristics, all cultivated together in a single piece of land. The cultivation of evolutionary populations is an effective method of counteracting insects and diseases, as well as climate change, due to their ability to adapt and evolve over time. By self-seeding their own seed, evolutionary populations ensure that farmers have the most suitable seed for their land from year to year, free of royalties and restrictions imposed by seed companies. Furthermore, this method has no need for pesticides and fertilisers as these varieties self-select to produce with what is available. The sowing operation involves a large investment for farmers, because it costs a considerable amount of work to prepare the soil and large quantities of seed are invested. However, with the increasing unpredictability due to climate change, investing on a single mono variety could be very risky as this may be more resistant for some issues, but less resistant for others. By cultivating evolutionary populations, thanks to an explosion of biodiversity, the variables are so numerous that farmers are guaranteed to get at least a small harvest, and even in the worst case they will not lose the investment made.
To find out more, read “The history of evolutionary populations”.